LIFE SCRIPTS

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Acts 16:6‭-‬10 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/act.16.6-10.NIV.

We are called to preach the gospel. But do we seek God to know where He has sent us to preach this gospel? From the life of Christ, we see a man who just didn’t randomly go to places but spent time in God’s presence especially after dusk to commune with God. The Spirit of God led Him to specific regions with the message of the Gospel. Sometimes, it looked like too much of an investment with too little a return but ultimately, people saw God’s hand in the picture. Take for instance when Christ crossed the sea of Galilee to minister to the possessed man in the Gedarenes. How could there be such a waste of resources in order to minister to one man? Scripture however records that this one man became the evangelist who carried the gospel to regions beyond. In this passage of scripture, we see Paul and his companions being led by the Spirit in his mission campaigns. The Spirit of God even prevented him and his companions from going to two places: the province of Asia and Bythinia. It is not stated why this happened but God had a reason. God might send us towards a certain direction but do we always seek Him even as we proceed to see where He ultimately leads us? At times opportunities seem so ripe yet God might still use other ways to prevent us from taking them up. Why? Because He’s Sovereign and owes no one an explanation. In this scripture, Paul didnt question the leading of the Spirit but obeyed. A look into the map of these regions shows us how Paul was prevented from preaching to lands that were close to him during his travels and yet directed to those that were far off. In our endeavors, we only see in a limited way. But God sees the great picture. This same God who prevented them venturing into these areas sent a vision to Paul about the need in the church in Macedonia. Paul had introduced Christ to the Macedonians and now his time to encourage them had come. Probably God intended for him to encourage brethren who were going through persecutions first before venturing into new territory to preach Christ. This was unfinished business in Paul’s intray. At times God blocks us from gaining more ground in order for us to consolidate the gains we’ve already made. But we must be attentive to the leading of His Spirit.